FISHINQ THE MINNOW FOR SALMON. 203 



fiugers being employed to swing and direct the rod, 

 while the thumb and forefinger hold the line. 



The rod is swung, and at the correct moment, which 

 can only be learnt by practice, the line is released by 

 the finger and thumb and taken under control by the 

 bait, which by its fall upon the water signals the 

 moment to return the drum into gear, the rod being 

 pressed against the angler*s body to admit of free use 

 of the lower hand. The line is then wound up prepa- 

 ratory to the next cast. 



In practice it will be found best to return the drum 

 into gear just before the bait drops upon the surface, 

 and the fingers of the upper hand should be kept close 

 to the rod in order to be clear of the out-running line, 

 which for a short distance maintains the spiral form 

 derived from the reel, and upon this account a stiffly 

 dressed line best suits the Malloch reel. 



When natural minnow or other fish be used as bait, 

 the angler had best suit his fancy as to the style of flight 

 of hooks he employs. We prefer the following pattern 

 of artificial minnow to any other — viz., a plain body of 

 silver- or gold- coloured metal with a spinner on each 

 side of the head, and no slits up the side, for we object 

 to the use of hooks at the sides on account of the fre- 

 quency in fouling the line. 



The tackle used with this minnow is simply com- 

 posed of two triangles, whipped one behind the other 

 on to a piece of treble gut, the other end being 

 whipped to a swivel, and the whole being of such a 



